Forum: Long-term plan needed to deal with birds at hawker centres

Pigeons seen at Tekka Centre. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

These days, many coffee shops have installed netting to prevent pigeons from flying in.

But in hawker centres here, the situation seems to be worsening. Pigeons swoop in and out, sometimes at a low height close to patrons' heads.

The National Environment Agency needs to do more to tackle the issue beyond telling customers to return their trays after eating.

Perhaps the installation of netting should be required. Eating at Chinatown Complex Food Centre is now more comfortable, safe and peaceful after netting was put in place.

Safe distancing has already reduced the number of seats at hawker centres, and this is made worse by birds leaving their droppings on seats.

It's common to see people eating their meals at one table, while pigeons eat leftovers nearby, which is not a good image to send to Singaporeans and tourists about hygiene.

I have been told by hawkers where to stand when queueing for food, because previous customers had been hit by droppings from the birds above.

On another occasion, my husband and I were eating dessert when bird droppings landed on the middle of the table, after which we quickly left. These days, when we choose a table, we look up to save ourselves from an unpleasant dining experience.

I can imagine a situation in which a person buys a drink, leaves it on the table as he goes to buy his food, only for it to be contaminated by a bird in that time.

Hawker centres all over Singapore have this problem. There needs to be a long-term plan to deal with it.

Mary Chan Pheck Li

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 29, 2020, with the headline Forum: Long-term plan needed to deal with birds at hawker centres. Subscribe